Discussion

Classic American in W. Babylon (Kitchen Nightmares)

I've been going there for quite a number of years, and always liked the place, as has everyone I've brought there. They filmed there this past fall, and I have been there twice since the refit. Boy, did Ramsey change things...

Before, it was a pretty large and eclectic menu. I'm betting Ramsey immediately criticized this--when I've seen his other LI episodes, he's always attacked big menus. And he slashed and burned through this one.

Gone are a lot of the speciality burgers--no more buffalo, ostrich, or tuna. The ___ and chips are mostly gone. There's a fish and chip dinner, but no shrimp and chips or clams and chips, or anything of that ilk. The old menu basically doesn't exist anymore--I'd be hard pressed to say what was carried over. Rather than my trying to summarize the new, you can see it here:http://www.classicamericanrestaurant.com

So far, I've had the turkey burger (sans cheese) and, most recently, the Smoked Half Chicken. I've enjoyed both (the smoked chicken was somewhat salty to me, but my taste for salt is MUCH less than the average person's, so that's a personal thing). I wish the "roasted root vegetable" accompaniment had a greater selection of root vegetables, though; I don't recall there being more than sweet potatoes.

I'm curious to see how it turns out, though I have some forebodings. These are based on the previous episodes at LI restaurants, places that I've either known personally or was familiar with in other ways. the reality television BS is simply incredible. How they create "stories" where none really exist, by editing together interviews and reaction shots in misleading ways, by insinuation, and outright lies. For example, when they did the Mixing Bowl in Bellmore, Ramsey got out a map and told the owners that in the ten years since they'd opened, the area had "gotten really built up" and that there were now 41 more restaurants in the neighborhood. Say what? It's *Bellmore*. It's been built up at least since Johnson was president. And people I know in the Health Dept' saw this and checked their own records, finding a difference of *four* restaurants.

Sigh.

Well, the way I see it, the changes were made for the publicity, not because the kitchen really was a nightmare. I hope it helps them; I quite like the place.